Just my opinion, but I'd keep this thread going and ask questions as you go. There's a lot of smart people on here that will be glad to help out.
When I built my 408 I drove an hour to use a machine shop that specialized in Mopars. We talked several times before I even dropped a part off to them. As I talked to the owner about what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it, he asked how I knew so much about small block strokers. I told him that I'm an early riser and read threads on FABO every morning. He was impressed with my knowledge that I got from this site. I'd suggest you do the same.
